


the river's own endless inflection

by fueledbyfiction



Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: Children, F/M, Fluff, Gen, M/M, Post-Canon, Sibling Bonding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-19
Updated: 2020-03-19
Packaged: 2021-03-01 02:54:12
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,301
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23218075
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fueledbyfiction/pseuds/fueledbyfiction
Summary: Aaron and Andrew take a trip to the botanical gardens for a routine bonding session.
Relationships: Aaron Minyard & Andrew Minyard, Katelyn/Aaron Minyard, Neil Josten/Andrew Minyard
Comments: 4
Kudos: 102





	the river's own endless inflection

**Author's Note:**

> Title is from [Dear Future](https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/browse?contentId=40947) by Suzanne Buffam.

Andrew had to be out of the house by ten, but he could not find his keys. He had looked on the key hook first. He always took special care to hang them there when he got home, but Neil sometimes left them lying about. Next, he scoured the kitchen counters and the coffee table in the living room with no luck.

  
He texted Aaron to let him know he would be late, then called Neil.

  
When Neil picked up, he asked, “Where on earth do they keep the sweetened condensed milk in this place? I've been looking for hours for your dumb baking ingredients.”

  
“Baking aisle. Next to the powdered sugar. Now—”

  
“Oh, okay. And when you wrote bread did you mean like baguettes or sandwich bread?”

  
“Sandwich. Do you know—”

  
“Do you like the brand of ice cream I got last time or do you just want Kemps?”

  
“Kemps. Neil, do you know where my keys are?” Andrew was getting pretty frustrated with his stupid husband.

  
“Oh, yeah, they're in my hoodie pocket,” Neil answered, clearly distracted.

  
“The one you're wearing?”

  
“No, the one I wore yesterday. It's on the floor of the bathroom between the shower and vanity.”

  
Andrew sighed and hung up. This conversation was ridiculous. He jogged up the stairs and found the hoodie Neil had been talking about. His keys were, in fact, in the pocket, along with a pack of gum and twenty-four cents. Sometimes Andrew didn't understand why he still liked this man.

  
With his keys finally in hand, Andrew headed down to the garage and started up his car. He had bought it that summer and it was his pride and joy. Everything about it was top-of-the-line and customized to fit his wishes. He had to admit that sometimes being a professional exy player with an exorbitant salary was a great thing.  
Aaron’s house was only about twenty minutes away, and Andrew passed the time listening to the low drone of the radio. His car only seated two, so when he got to the house he parked in the driveway. While he was walking to the door, his niece burst out of the house, screaming like a banshee.

“Andrew! I was worried. You were so late! Can we go please?”

  
If it was anyone else he would have told her to shut up. If it was anyone else he would have been unnerved by the relentless enthusiasm. If it was anyone else he wouldn’t have picked her up and spun her around when she lifted her arms for a hug. But it was Anna, and he was weak for her cute little face.

  
Aaron exited the house at a much more sedate pace than his little daughter, locking the door behind himself and carrying Anna’s backpack. When he was close enough, Andrew passed his niece to his brother, and she went willingly, wrapping her arms around Aaron’s neck. Andrew got into the driver’s seat while Aaron buckled Anna into her little red car seat in the back. It was unspoken that he always drove, but Aaron didn’t seem to mind. Years of therapy had taught him that if it made Andrew feel just a little bit more comfortable and in-control to drive them places that it was a small sacrifice on his part to just let him. Plus, Aaron was a horrible driver and he knew it.

  
The twins were silent as they merged onto the highway, just the sounds of Anna’s tuneless humming and the constant drone of traffic were audible as they made their way to the botanical gardens for their biweekly bonding session.

  
They were early enough that it wasn't too hard to find a parking spot. That had been a lesson learned the hard way early on. Aaron went around to the back of the car and unloaded the stroller while Andrew unbuckled Anna. At three, Anna liked to walk around by herself, but after an hour or so she almost always got tired. It was easier to push around an empty stroller than to try to carry her the rest of the way around the loop. Thirty pounds could be ridiculously heavy, even for a professional athlete. Once they were finally ready to go, Andrew took his niece’s hand and the three of them trooped into the ticket building. They were season pass holders, so they were through and into the gardens within minutes.

  
“Greenhouse or pond first?” Andrew asked. It was directed at his brother, but it was Anna who answered.

  
“Can we go to the pond and see the fishes? The big orange ones?”

  
“Of course, pumpkin,” Aaron answered. His brother raised an eyebrow at the nickname but said nothing.

  
They took the trail to the koi pond, stopping periodically so Anna could exaggeratedly sniff the blooming flowers. Her romper was patterned with roses, so when they passed a bush of them she requested a picture among the blossoms.

  
“You look so beautiful,” Aaron said, snapping a picture on his phone. “We’ll have to send this to your grandma.”

  
“I know! Andrew, did you know my grandma is named Rose? And that’s also my middle name! Isn’t that so cool?” Her little jelly sandals smacked against the concrete as she ran back to stand beside her dad and look at the picture he had taken of her. “What’s your middle name, Andrew?”

  
“Joseph.”

  
“Oh, cool! Like Mary and Joseph like in the book that Mommy sometimes reads me at bedtime!”

  
Aaron nodded, and they continued down the trail.

  
“I didn’t know you were raising her religious.”

  
“We’re not really. Katelyn only goes to church for the big holidays. She just thinks some of the stories can help kids learn about morals and stuff. Nicky sent Anna a really cute picture Bible to read.”

  
“He spoils her too much. He needs to get a kid of his own to take care of.”

  
“Yeah.”

  
When they finally reached the pond, Anna went onto a small bridge and right up to the railing. She stuck her arms between the bars in a doomed attempt to pet the koi that were looking for food.

  
“Look at the nice fishes, Dad!”

  
Andrew grabbed her around the middle and hoisted her up so she could see above the railing. She giggled and looked happily down into the clear water. Even though she was clearly interested, her attention span was pretty much nonexistent, so after a few minutes, she was squirming and asking to be let down. Andrew set her back on the ground and they continued walking down the trail.

  
As predicted, Anna got tired before too long and asked to take a break. They found an empty bench and Aaron unlooped her backpack from the stroller’s handlebars.

  
“Here you go. Do you want applesauce or goldfish?”

  
“Goldfish, please.”

  
She waited patiently for Aaron to open up the package, sipping on her yellow plastic sippy cup. Andrew got out his own water and took a swig, then pulled out a lollipop from his own bag. It was a sad replacement for a cigarette, but it did the job.

  
Anna took one look at it before turning to her dad. “Can I have a candy?”

  
Aaron knew that she was tired and cranky so there was potential for this to turn bad. He sighed, resigned to it, “After you finish your goldfish, princess.”

  
Once they were all rested, they set off again, lollipops in hand. Anna sat in the stroller, missing her midmorning nap, but far too stubborn to sleep. Soon enough, though, she had nodded off, so they found a bench in the shade to park her under. The only thing left to see was the greenhouse, and there was no point in going in until she was awake. Neither Aaron nor Andrew cared enough about turtles or exotic plants to spend much time in there, anyway. These little outings were largely for Anna’s benefit, after all.

  
After a while, Aaron broke the silence, “How’s Neil?”

  
Andrew rolled his eyes, “An absolute disaster, as usual.”

  
Aaron didn’t really know what to say to that so he just smiled and continued watching the passerby. They got along much better than they had as teenagers, but neither of them was good with small talk.

  
When Anna finally woke from her nap, they all headed into the greenhouse. They stopped in each of the different rooms, looking at the brightly colored flowers, trying to spot the birds that flew around the enclosures. When they reached the desert room, it was empty. It often was, as the spiky cacti and succulents weren’t as appealing to most as a tropical paradise. Andrew soaked in the silence.

  
Aaron leaned down to tell something to Anna, who was still strapped into her stroller to avoid the dangers of all the potentially dangerous plants in the room, but Andrew couldn’t make out his words over the hum of the dehumidifier in the corner. He could hear his niece’s response, though.

  
“Yes!” She yelled, and Aaron unbuckled her, taking her up in his arms.

  
“Anna has something to tell you,” Aaron announced. Andrew was a bit confused by what was going on, but he refused to let it show on his face. He looked at Anna.

  
“Andrew, I have a secret to tell you!”

  
Andrew humored her, “Oh, yeah? What is it?”

  
“I’m going to be a big sister! Mommy has a brand-new baby in her tummy!”

  
“Oh, wow. Are you really excited?”

  
“Yes! I want to name it Peppa, like Peppa the pig!”

  
“I think Mommy has some different names picked out, but maybe we can talk to her about naming it Peppa when we get home, okay?”

  
Anna agreed, then asked to be put back down into her stroller. Aaron buckled her in, and they made their way back through the greenhouse and toward the exit. It was well past lunchtime, and the heat was starting to get to Andrew, so they stopped at the bathrooms, then headed straight to the car. It was a quiet drive back to Aaron’s house in the suburbs, but Andrew didn’t protest when Aaron turned the dial on the radio to a pop station.

  
Andrew was the one to shatter the silence this time.

  
“I’m happy for you, you know. You’re a good dad.”

  
Aaron was clearly not expecting the compliment. “Oh, um, thanks. You’re a good uncle.”

  
Andrew grunted. A couple of minutes later, he pulled into Aaron’s driveway. Katelyn was sitting on the porch, sipping at a tall glass of what looked like lemonade while their golden retriever played in the yard. Andrew helped them unpack the car, then went up to the porch to say hi to Katelyn.

  
“Congrats on, you know,” He gestured to her belly, which showed no signs of her pregnancy yet.

  
“Thank you. Do you want to stay for lunch?”

  
Andrew knew he was close to reaching his limit for social interaction for the day. “I should go. Neil’s making lunch at home.

  
Katelyn gave him a hug, then let him leave. Anna waved to him from her spot on Aaron’s lap, and would have spilled her lemonade if Aaron hadn’t realized what was happening and caught it.

  
“See you in two weeks.”

  
Aaron nodded, and Andrew got in his car, throwing his bag into the passenger seat and turning the key in the ignition. The powerful engine came to life, and Andrew backed out of the driveway, careful to make sure Anna or the dog hadn’t somehow gotten free and ran behind him.

  
When he got home, Neil was clattering around in the kitchen. He was sitting on the ground when Andrew entered the room, hands deep in the cabinet where he was evidently looking for something. He automatically raised his head for a kiss, and Andrew leaned down to fulfill the silent request.

  
“What are you looking for?”

  
“The lid to this tupperware,” Neil lifted the offending piece of plastic from the ground next to him.

  
The lid was probably long gone, but Andrew hummed in acknowledgment. He sat down at the counter, where Neil had left a sandwich for him on a plate. “Aaron and Katelyn are having another baby.”

  
“Good for them. Can we get another baby too?” Neil had been begging for another cat for months.

  
“We’ve talked about this. Two is acceptable, three is bordering on crazy cat lady.”

  
“I know, I know, but Nicky sent me this video where this lady has seven cats and made them the cutest little capsule hotel from big plastic jugs. It looked heavenly, Andrew.”

  
“We are not getting seven cats, Neil. But maybe we can go by and see what they have at the shelter later this week.”

  
“Yes!” He stood up, clearly giving up on finding the mysterious lid. “Nicky bet ten dollars that you’d cave within the next month, Erik said it would take two.”

  
Andrew sighed. He hated how easily Neil still got to him, even after all these years. “Shut up.”

  
“Okay. Now, about names, how do you feel about Princess--?”

  
He was cut off when Andrew covered his mouth with his hand. “Stop.”

  
“Okay, okay. I’m done.” He sat in silence for all of five seconds before asking, “But really, do you think we could get a munchkin cat?”

  
This time Andrew couldn’t take any chances. Neil couldn’t be trusted to shut up himself, so Andrew would have to silence him with kisses. They moved to the couch, so distracted by one another that Neil tripped over a cat toy on the way. Andrew just laughed at him, but finally sitting on the couch with his husband slotted between his legs and his relationship with his brother finally stable, he had to admit that he was happy.


End file.
